Under 14 (Surf Rescue Certificate)
Cap Colour - Orange
Time: October-November 2023
Age Managers:
- U14B: Dugald Marr, Colin Gibbons, Tim Spies
- U14G: Warren Livingstone, Oliver Young
SRC Lead trainer: Stephen Tindale
Proficiency requirements: see here
Activities:
Our U14 group are our Nipper leaders. The U14 Nipper season starts with training for the Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC), which provides participants with the skills and knowledge required for patrolling. After completion of their SRC, the U14s provide invaluable Water Safety for Nippers on Sunday mornings as well as joining a Cadet Team on a regular patrol.
Due to the high demand for the course, to join the SRC course in their U14 year, candidates must have participated in U13s at Bronte. As the Nippers program builds each year towards the SRC, we do not accept new nippers at U14, nor lapsed nippers, unless exceptional circumstances apply (email nippers@brontesurfclub.com.au). For non-nippers keen to become patrolling lifesavers, the Bronze Medallion course is open to all aged 15 years and above.
What does the SRC course involve?
The course is split into three components:
eLearning
The pre-course eLearning takes around 3 hours, but most kids prefer to spread this out over 3-4 sessions.
Dry training sessions
This is where we teach the kids the theory component, how to use radios, do signals and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
These sessions are held at the Surf Club and run for 1½ hours
Wet training sessions
These water-based sessions are where the kids learn to do board and tube rescues.
We’ll only take the kids out the back when it’s safe. If the surf’s too big, we’ll run activities in the rock pool or cancel the session.
Who runs the SRC?
Stephen Tindale – Bronte Surf Club’s 2020/21 Trainer of the Year – will be the trainer, with U14 Age Managers Colin, Dugald, Warren, Tim and Oliver managing the water safety crew.
What happens after the course?
Once they pass the SRC, the kids become Bronte Cadets and will be put into a patrol team with their friends. They’ll patrol or provide water safety for Nippers eight times per season on Sundays from 8 am to 11 am, overseen by the Director of Cadets.
Then, when they’re 15 and have patrolled for two seasons, they can do the Cadet Bronze Medallion course, a 3-week intensive course (as they’ve already covered much of the content in their SRC).